


Cold Hands, Warm Heart

by Saringold



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Catholic School, Childhood Friends, Gen, Non-Binary Linhardt von Hevring, Pre-Slash, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:28:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26682193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saringold/pseuds/Saringold
Summary: Linhardt and Caspar wrap up another day of school, and Caspar attempts to warm Linhardt's cold hands... by holding them.
Relationships: Caspar von Bergliez & Linhardt von Hevring
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	Cold Hands, Warm Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SweetReichel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetReichel/gifts).



> This fic is for SweetReichel, who's been going through a bit of a hard time lately. I worked together with my partner MariaColette to put together a little something special, so may the power of fluffy casphardt make you feel better~

Garreg Mach Academy, a private and prestigious religious school run by the faithful (and funds) of the Church of Saint Seiros, was well-known for having its halls filled with children of modern elites. Every large corporation and organization in Fodlan, and even some from beyond the continent’s borders, had ties to the Church, as did many families who came from old money and even older connections. Thus, when it came to socializing, there were two options: church, school, or in this case, both, and it was at a school such as this that children of all walks of life and backgrounds, should they be able to earn entry either through their parents’ achievements (and donations) or by being able to pay the steep entrance fee, got to become acquainted with one another, learn everything required of a young elite, and prepare to eventually contribute to their benefactors’ causes in some way or another.

Yet, as high-brow and elite as this school was, you wouldn’t have known that its occupants were anyone other than normal children once the school bell rang. As soon as they were free to leave, classroom doors were opened wide, and a tidal wave of children flooded the hallways, making their way toward various clubs, sports practices, and other after-school activities, or otherwise rushing to the pick-up line by the front of the school. Caspar von Bergliez, second son of Adrestia’s Minister of Military Affairs, would have absolutely loved to do the same except for the fact that there was one small problem holding him back. 

“Linhardt!” he hissed furiously, trying to wake his full-time bestie and part-time pain-in-the-ass who was soundly sleeping at the next desk over. “Class is over! Wake up before Ms. Manuela--”

“Before I what?” came a sharp, slightly melodic voice, and a teaching pointer came down with a sharp _whap_ on the wooden top of Linhardt’s desk, startling the sea-eyed sleeper into wakefulness. 

“Hm? Oh, class is over. Well, time to--”

“Show me your notes, Linhardt,” Manuela, their Health teacher, interrupted, hands on her hips as she gave the still-sleepy student a fierce glare. Yeah, she had definitely caught Lin napping, and Caspar was really just glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of that look, or worse, her words.

Linhardt sighed a bit dramatically, but obliged, showing her their notebook. Caspar snuck a peek, and was still amazed at what he saw. An entire page of carefully taken notes, written in Linhardt’s bizarre shorthand but decipherable nonetheless, greeted Manuela’s eyes as she skimmed it for a few moments before snapping the book shut with a sigh. “Fine, fine. Get going, you two.”

Caspar gave her a grateful grin as he waited for Linhardt to get their things together. The classroom had completely emptied out in the minutes Linhardt had spent proving themself to Manuela, and the warm early autumn sunlight shone through the red and orange leaves of the trees standing just outside of the second floor’s large glass windows, wrapping the entire room in an amber hue. Caspar beamed; it was a beautiful, clear Friday afternoon, and would be perfect for walking home. Given that Garreg Mach was a boarding school, they were required to live in the dormitories with the other students, although they were allowed to have a driver employed by their family or patron to drive them around to wherever they needed to go. Caspar’s family had determined that he had no need for such a luxury and had instead given him a modest sum to use for public transportation, and Linhardt, despite their parents’ best attempts at persuading them to take a family car, instead preferred to cajole someone into giving them a ride if needed and to walk to and from school with Caspar. That was the most amount of physical effort Lin ever put in for… well, anything, and Caspar was glad he got to hang out with his best friend, just the two of them, for at least a little while each day. 

Linhardt had finished packing as Caspar was letting his thoughts wander, and tapped him on the shoulder, chuckling, as they held their notebook and pencil case loosely in their other arm. “Huh?” he exclaimed, blinking rapidly as he came back to reality. 

“Usually _I’m_ the one who needs a wake up call,” Linhardt gently teased, and Caspar could only stare at the way their smile reached all the way up to their eyes, the sunshine making the forest-green of their hair look almost fairy-like in the light. He gulped.

“Haha, sorry. Let’s go.”

The pair made their way outside, the hallways mostly quiet thanks to the other students having already scattered to the winds. They started talking about their day, Caspar filling in Linhardt about the cat he’d met while outside earlier and Linhardt telling Caspar about zoning out and watching the Goddess Messengers swim about in the elegant fountain by the front entrance, both of them enjoying just letting the conversation flow and seeing where it went.

As they headed to their lockers, Caspar’s hand brushed Lin’s, and he almost gasped. He stopped in his tracks, causing Linhardt to stop and look back at him. “Caspar? What’s wrong?”

“Lin! Your hands! They’re practically freezing!”

Linhardt sighed tiredly, not really wanting to hear something they already knew. “Caspar, I’m always cold. I have poor circulation.” Caspar gave a little frown, then suddenly reached for Linhardt’s hand, taking it in his own. Sea-blue eyes widened in confusion. “Caspar… what are you doing?”

“Warming your hands up! I know it’s not a lot, but maybe it’ll help!” he replied, pressing Linhardt’s hand between his own and staring at it as if doing so would increase the heat.

Linhardt opened their mouth, then shut it again, looking like they were trying to figure something out. “Caspar, you…” 

He looked up at them, and their gazes met, the sea meeting the sky in perfect openness and harmony. “Yeah?”

They paused for a moment, not looking away, before their expression softened into a quiet grin. Linhardt shook their head, their ponytail waving with the motion. “Never mind. Thank you.”

Caspar grinned, his smile as wide as a crescent moon and as bright as the sun. “Of course! I want you to be warm! I mean, when you’re cold. You get what I mean!”

Linhardt let out a quiet laugh. “I do--” they began to reply, when suddenly, there was a shout, and as they turned to look at the source, they saw Vice Principal Seteth heading their way, their hands falling to their sides as he approached. For a fleeting moment, Caspar missed the chill. 

“You will need to cease this excessive display of affection right this minute. Your hands were clearly touching just now, which is in violation of this school’s ban on pre-marital hand holding!”

Caspar gulped. If he got in trouble here, then… However, he needn’t have worried. Linhardt cut in smoothly, drawing the vice principal’s attention. “Pardon me, vice principal, but Caspar was only trying to warm my hands. They’re quite cold, and out of the goodness of his heart, he decided that this was the best method of doing so. Please, excuse us just this once.” Caspar did his best to look sorry, hoping the blush he could feel on his face would pass for embarrassment rather than… whatever he was actually feeling.

The vice principal looked from one to the other, then sighed. “Very well. I will overlook this for today, but _please_ practice proper decorum next time.” With that, he strode away, Caspar and Linhardt giving twin sighs of relief once his footsteps were no longer audible. 

“That was a close one!” Caspar laughed, relief evident in his voice. 

Linhardt chuckled as well, clearly feeling the same. “Indeed. Now, let’s get to our lockers and be off. We’ve already spent far too much time hanging around _here_.” 

They made it to their lockers without further incident, Linhardt putting everything away except for their textbook and Caspar practically dumping all of his materials in his locker per usual. They wound their way out the front doors toward the dorms, a slight breeze blowing through their hair. “...You know,” Linhardt casually stated, “my hands are cold again.” 

Caspar gave them a confused look. “But Lin, what if someone thinks we’re holding hands again?”

“Then let them. No matter what they think, I enjoy holding hands with you. Or you warming them. Whatever the case may be.”

Caspar blinked, parsing their words, then laughed, his smile so wide that he closed his eyes. “Well, I do too! So there!” He took their free hand in his own, the other coming to rest on the back of his neck, and they walked and talked all the way home, Linhardt’s hands feeling warmer than ever before.

Picture by MariaColette (@MariettaRC), feat. Caspar and Linhardt in SweetReichel's designs:


End file.
